Shoe uppers and their manufacture



April 14, 1959 N. J. AGOSTINO 25881455 SHOE UPPERS AND THEIR MANUFACTUREl Filed sept. :5. 12'957 63 Inventor /v/'code/no .I AGOSTINO #ZZ-owne;

United States Patent I() 2,881,456 SHOE UPPERS- AND THEIR MANUFACTURENicodemo I. Agostino, Mount Royal, Montreal, Canada ApplicationSeptember 3, 1957, Serial No. 681,574

` s claims. (ci. 1zss) This invention relates to the'manufacture ofladies shoe `uppers and more particularly to the application p lApplcants development This is accomplished by providing the marginalinstepengaging edge of the upper with an inward inclination. The Frenchbinding is applied partly in the normal manner and at the same time theupper is deformed to round it so that the margin projects slightlyinwards.

This can be accomplished by an apparatus which is adapted to feed themargin of the upper and to fold in the binding over the inner side ofthe marginal edge, at the same time to hammer it with a reciprocatinghammer whose head is provided with a projection which co-operates with acavity in an anvil underlying the material. This causes the deformationof the material tending it to be inclined inward.

The invention has been generally described, and the applicant will nowrefer to it in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings.These drawings illustrate the application of French binding to a shoeupper in accordance with the invention. They also show, in enough detailto explain to one skilled in the art, the working parts of an apparatusadapted to carry out the method.

In the drawings:

Figure l shows a finished shoe upper to which a French binding has beenapplied in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section through juxtaposed layers ofleather and fabric with the French binding tape connected by preliminarystitching, but prior to rolling and gluing.

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged cross-section along the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the method of rollingthe tape over the edge of the upper and parts of the apparatus for sodoing.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of a part of the apparatus and showing thehammer in raised position.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-section through the apparatus along theline 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section partly in elevationthrough the apparatus with the upper in place at the moment the hammercomes down on it.

Figure 9 is a greatly enlarged section of a portion of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view of the hammer and of the anvil y in perspective.

2,881,456 Patented Apr. 14, 1959 ICC Reference will now be made in moredetail to the drawings. l

A represents the upper of a ladies shoe, it is made up of an outer layerof leather 15 and a juxtaposed lining 17 of textile fabric. The innermarginal edge of the upper A is provided with a French binding B.

The following is a method by which this binding is applied in accordancewith this invention. First, the fabric layer 17 is juxtaposed to theleather layer 15 and to the binding B, and the marginal edges of theselayers and the binding B are joined together by stitching 21 as bestshown in Figure 2. Then, the binding B is rolled about the edge as shownin Figure 3 and is secured to the cloth layer by adhesive 23.

In accordance with the invention, after binding tape B is injuxtaposition to the cloth layer 17 the three layers are hammeredtogether at about the middle of the binding tape over an anvil having aspecial cavity so as to round the marginal edge and to give it atendency to protrude inwards. The preferred means of doing this areillustrated in Figure 4 and the following.

The upper A is fed into an apparatus as shown in Figure 4. The marginaledge passes by an adhesive tube 41 which serves to apply the adhesive 23to the margin of the fabric 17. Then, the binding tape B is urgedinwards towards the margin of the upper by a fixed guide member 43 andby a reciprocating guide member 45 which protrudes from the slot 47 inthe body of the apparatus.

Finally, the binding tape encounters a hammer 55 which reciprocates andhammers the binding tape against the underlying layersof cloth 17 andleather 15. Thus far, the procedure is conventional and the apparatusdescribed is similar to the USMC Thermo-Cementing and Folding Machine-Model A (symbol TCF) disclosed in the literature of the United ShoeMachinery Corporation, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

In accordance with the invention, the edge of the machine over which themargin of the upper passes is provided with an anvil 61 provided with adepression or moulding cavity 63 and the hammer 55 is provided with aprotuberance 57 which works in combination with the cavity 63 in theanvil 61. As the hammer 55 comes down it jams the material i.e. the edgeportion of the upper, into the cavity 63 causing the forming roundingelect above described causing the upper to curl inwards. The hammerreciprocates quickly continuously striking the top of the margin of theupper as the latter is fed beneath it.

The apparatus has only been illustrated suciently for anybody skilled inthe art to understand its operation. It will be understood that thevarious parts shown are driven by a most suitable drive through linkagesconnected to these parts as will be clear to one skilled in the art,since the apparatus is generally the same as that described in the USMCliterature mentioned above.. The basic machinery is not a part of thisinvention only the modification claimed.

Further the selection of materials of the shoe is also within the skillof one in the art. Usually the upper will be made of leather but ofcourse can be of suitable substitute material c g. synthetic leather inthe nature of plastic material which will act in a manner similar toleather and so on. The lining is usually of a woven textile fabric ofthe type usually applied in linings, and, the binding tape is of anarrow woven fabric as usually applied for French bindings. The natureof these materials is not part of the invention and their selection willprove no problem to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying French binding to the margin of a shoeupper comprising means -for advancing the upper with the French bindingattached, means for guiding and folding the tape Vover the edge of theupper to juxtaposition of the upper, and means for tamping the tape andportion of the upperto which it is juxtaposed including a hammer andmeans for reciprocating the hammer and an anvil .adapted to underlie thematerial being tamped, the anvil being provided withan acute depressionand the hammer being provided with a correspondingly acute protuberanceadapted to press the material into said depression whereby a hollow isformed at one side of the material and a convexity at the other side ofthe material causing it to be permanently bowed out of the flat therebyto provide an inwardly projecting multi-ply bowed edge adapted to engagethe instep.

2. An apparatus for applying vFrench binding as defined in claim 1` inwhich means is provided for applying adhesive between the tape and theedge of the upper to which the tape is applied prior to juxtaposing thetape thereto.

3. An apparatus for applying French binding to the margin of a shoeupper having a reciprocating hammer and an anvil against which thehammer operates on the material, in which the anvil is provided with anacute rounded cavity and the hammer with a corresponding protuberancewhereby the hammered material is permanently bowed out of the flatthereby to provide an inwardly projecting multi-ply bowed edge adaptedto engage the instep.

References Cited the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,395Ridderstrom Feb. 24, 1925 2,074,004 Tweedie Mar. 16, l1937 2,180,076Swartz a -4- Nov. 14, 1939 2,193,355 Gilbert Mar. 12, 1940 2,301,202Dixon Nov.` 10, 1942 2,335,360 Russell Nov. 30, 1943 2,347,674 Dow et alMay 2, 1944 2,350,185 Pero et al. May 30, v194,4 2,648,078 Eppler Aug.11, 1953

